The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-24
The Story Of a Wreck.
Thrilling and Romantic Account Of
a Mutiny at Sea.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL
CHAPTER XXSiI.-Coyrryr.o.

SELF, and Selling the man by the arms
rs he stood shouting ct the fast lessen
ing ship, what is the use of those
oaths? Let them 60 their ways-the
pitiless towards! We are Englishmen,
and our lives are still our own. Come,
brave companion! we have all under
gone too much to permit this trial to
break us. See this lady! she swears
that we shall be saved yet Be of her
heart and mine and the boson's there.
and help US to make another fight for
1t Gomez"
He suffered me TO pull him off his
periious perch, and then sat himself
down upon a coil of rope, trembling
all over, and hid his face in his hands.
But new trouble awaited me.
At this moment the steward came
staggering up the companion-ladder
his face purple, his eyes protruding,
and talking loudly and incohereRtly.
He clasped the sea-chest belonging to
himself, which certainly was of greater
weight than he in his enfeebled state
would have been able to bear had he
not been mad. The chest WAS corded,
<tuA HC h-bu lIO NOuOb JdtOhCu
He rushed to the ships side and
pitched it overheard, and WIS in the
act of springing onto the rail, mean
ing to fling himself into the sea, when
/ caught hold of him, and, using more
force than | was conscious of, dragged
him backward SO violently that his
head struck the deck like a cannon
shot, and he lay motiOnless and in
sensible.
"That's the best thing that could
have happened TO him." exclaimed the
bOatswain. Let him lie bit. He'll
come to. and maybe leave his craze
behind him. 1t wouldn't be the fust
time I've seen a daft man knocked
sensible
And then, coolly biting a chew out
of stick of tobacco, which he very
carefully replaced in his breaches
pocket, he added:
"'Jim, come and lay hold of this here
wheel, will yer. while mo and Mr.
Royle pumps the ship outP'
Cornish got I'D and took the boats
vain place.
Il can help you TO pump, Dir. Royle,"
said Miss Robertson.
1he DOatSWaln laughed.
"Lor' bless your dear art miss,
what nextP" he cried. mo, no; you
stand by here ready to knock this stew
ard down again If he shows hisself
anxious to swim after the Roosian.
Wen see what water the ships
a-makin'; and if she shows herself
obstinate. as rayther think she will,
why, We'll all turn to and leave her.
For you've got to deal with bad ship
as you would with bad wife; use
every genteel persuasion fust and if
that won't alter her, there's nothen for
1t but TO grease your boots, oil your
hair, and politely walk out"
CHAPTER XVIII
There being but two of US now to
work the pumps, it was more than we
could do to keep them going. We
piled them, with a brief spell between,
and then my arms fell to my side. and
/ told the boatSwain l could pump no
more.
lie sounded the well and made six
inches.
There's only two inches left that we
can get out OF her." said he; land
they'll do no harm"
On which we quilted the main-deck
and came into the cuddy.
Mr.. Royie." he said, seating him
self on the edge of the table, I'VE shall
have to leave this ship if we aren't
taken Off her. l reckon it'll require
twelve feet o water to sink her,
Gllowin' for there being a deal o wood
in the cargo; and maybe she won't 90
down Mt that. However, We'll say
twelve feet. and supposin' we lets her
be, she'll give us, if you like, eight or
nine hours afore settlin'. I'm pot say
ing as we ought to leave her; but I'm
lookin' at Won, sir. and see that YOU re
VERY nigh knocked up; Cornish is
about a quarter o the man he was; an
as TO the blOomin' steward, he's as
good rs drowned, no better and no
worse. We shall take one spell too
many at them pumps and fall down
under it an never get up agin. WOt
we had best do is TO keep a look all
around for vessels, get that there
stand by 10 leave the ship when the
sea calms. You know how Bermuda
bears, don't YOU, sir?"
al can find out to night 1t is too
late TO get sights now"
Il think" he returned. ''that our
lives II be rs safe in the boat as they
.tre on board this ship, an a trifle
safer. I've been watching this vessel
y good deal and my belief is that wos
another gale to strike her, she'd make
ole o her long plunges and 60 to
pieces like pack O cards, when she
got to the bottom o the valley o
water. Of course if this sea don't
calm we must make shift TO keep her
=ltioat until it do. You'll excuse me
for talkin' as though l wos dictatin'.
I'm just givin' you the thoughts that
come into my head while we wos
pumpin'."
Il quite agree with you," / replied;
81 am only thinking of the size of the
Observation-Disclosures she isn't too
small for five persons?"
mot she! I'll get a bit of mast
rugged up in her and it Il 60 hard if we
don't get four mile an hour out of her
somehows. How fur might the Ber-
muda Islands be OFF,
| answered, after rejecting some
moments, that they would probably be
distant from the ship between two
hundred and fifty and three hundred
miles.
1--WE should get pretty near EN- in
three days" sand he, ''if the wind
blew that way. Will you go an tell
the young lady what we're thinkin' O.
doing, while overhauls the boat an
see what's wantin' in her? One good
job is, we shan't have to put of,